The morning Inbox is still upset with the attitude of Microsoft execs, as one reader struggles with Dark Souls II’s greatest challenge.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
Give me a reason
I have a real problem with Nintendo since the launch of the Wii U… I loved the Wii – great family fun when all together at parties – for all ages. It had some great games that I played with my son and watched him play as he grew (both Super Mario Galaxies, Paper Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, etc.). So when the Wii U was due to launch it all looked good, promise of real HD graphics, more ‘mature’ games (Bayonetta 2 and ZombiU) and I hoped some good support from Nintendo as well.
However, the lack of games on the system has made it impossible for me to justify a purchase… and even with the new Mario Kart release (which we really want to play) how can I justify the expense when there are not many other games I want to play on it… and I have a real concern over the actual life of the Wii U as well (how long before it is replaced I wonder?!).
Please Nintendo… get some more decent games out for it ASAP so we can purchase one without feeling like it is a dumb thing to do!
WoDMaN
Obvious bribe
Wow, so you can write but obviously can’t read very well. If you would have read any of the interviews from the guys at Respawn you would know they they said that that’s all the downloadable content would be (maps) and that game modes, burn cards and other things like that would come free.That’s why they made it so cheap instead of doing what Call Of Duty does and overcharge you for a bunch of maps you won’t even play, mixed in with a couple cool ones from the previous game.
So it seems to me like Respawn decided to break the first person shooter mould and offer you more maps if you want but give you game updates and new modes along with other additional content for free. So either you were paid to make the review you made or you just suck that much at your job. Either way you are partially what’s wrong with the gaming community these games.
pardon_me44
GC: £7.99 is not cheap, for three maps that works out as £2.66 each. Call Of Duty map packs are £11.59 for five maps, which is £2.32 each. We don’t care what Respawn have promised for the future, the Expedition map pack is overly expensive and contains the only thing Titanfall already had enough of.
Viggles the Mighty
So finally started playing Dark Souls II last night, and very early on got onto a rather difficult section of the game. In fact its a difficult section that appears in many a video game – the character naming section! Geez why is it so hard to think of a cool name for my character?!
Every time I end up staring at the screen for 10 minutes, ;Uh, ‘V’ is a cool letter, something beginning with ‘V’…uh…Viggles? Damn it where is that Game of Thrones character wiki list? I need inspiration!’ After an exhaustingly long period of time I finally settled on a name and decided it was time for bed.
radioactive_gimp (PSN ID)
PS. You don’t wanna know how long it took to come up with my PSN ID.
GC: But what was the name?! Don’t leave us tenterhooks like that.
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Blame yourself
I’m surprised that Yusuf Mehdi has chosen such a remarkable excuse for the poor sales of the Xbox One. I’m sure if we all put our heads together we could come up with a few reasons of our own.
The proposed draconian DRM which would have prevented people playing their games without an Internet connection or selling games second-hand.
The lack of backwards compatibility. Whether or not old games are run on new systems it is something which can sway buyers who have large game collections.
The fact that the launch show seemed more interested in the console as a television device than a games machine. And moreover the TV services looked USA-centric.
The Xbox One being more expensive that the PlayStation 4 but being slower.
The complicated gesture-controlled system which saps the power of the console.
But the best reason of all is the crazy executives that Microsoft employ like the ones that tell people with poor Internet connections to buy Xbox 60s, or the ones that prevent game developers talking about the sluggishness of their new console. Or the completely lunatic ones that try to lay the blame of their poor sales with Sony.
Frank87
PS: GC how about a Hot Topic soon with a short (maximum five item?) wishlist for this years E3?
PPS: Loving all the recent interviews with composers, developers, etc., etc., etc.
GC: Thank you, and yes that seems a very good idea for the week before E3.
The race for last place
Did that Microsoft exec really say that one of the reasons that the PlayStation 4 is outselling the Xbox One is because gamers have been more satisfied with the Xbox 360 than the PlayStation 3? Based on what evidence? This smacks of desperation. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the Xbox 360 finish last (in terms of units sold) in the previous generation? If the Wii U situation wasn’t so bad then there’s a real chance Microsoft might finish last in this generation too.
On the plus side Microsoft have rewarded my patience. I’m a skinflint, I admit that and hate paying full price for games (look right, times are hard) and I have waited and waited and finally State of Decay has been discounted by 50%.
Richard800XL (gamertag/Steam ID)/Richard_M (PSN ID) Add me!
Soon to be playing: State Of Decay
Currently listening to: Jupiter One – Platform Moon
GC: The PlayStation 3 is generally assumed to have outsold the Xbox 360 but there’s not more than one or two million in it (at around 82 million each). That means the final winner, decided when both consoles are no longer being manufactured, could still go either way.
Winners don’t do price drops
Oh Inbox magic I have never asked for anything before. But please, oh please make Sony drop the PlayStation 4 price by £50. Not because I want to buy one (got a Wii U on order), I just need to see what a U-turn in overdrive with mass over-speed and overcompensation from Microsoft looks like.
They should be ashamed of themselves for removing the Jonny 5 lookalike from the Xbone. And to paraphrase that technical marvel ‘Kinect One is now gone’.
Dan Wolfshead
Gaming hardware
Today I feel as though I have given my consoles a new lease of life (Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and Wii U) as I purchased a new 40 inch TV and well wow! (I was totally bought in by the Currys adverts on right now – genius). After gaming on what was eight years ago a top of the range 32 inch flat screen TV the upgrade is nothing short of outstanding – I simply cannot wait to play Mario Kart in all its graphical glory now.
It made me wonder what GC reviews games on – what is your set up? What is the set-up that readers have as well? Do readers think its that important to have the best TV/surround sound system to go with the next gen and will they plan to upgrade their entire home systems when they do upgrade and have those that have recently upgraded also seen a marked improvement. Possibly a Hot Topic?
On a differing note, thanks to StalinsEpicTash for recommending Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, having a blast playing it and meeting new people.
Peter Watts
GC: We use a pair of purposefully ordinary 42” LG 3DTVs. They’re pretty good but nothing too showy, as there’s no point review games with a TV that’s leagues above what everyone else has.
Future use
Thanks for using my email. Well, I did kind of use the light bar as an example of adding/improving an existing formula and bringing the industry forward in a way that doesn’t elicit a negative response from the masses. But no, there hasn’t been a major way that it has been implemented (yet). It flashes when you’re damaged and can show different colours dependent on game and situation but for the most part I do hardly notice it.
It is supposed to be a replacement (not as accurate though) for the PlayStation Move, but since I don’t have a camera I can’t say how good. To be honest I am more interested in its feature set once Morpheus is out, because it was built in with that project in mind. So those are the only ways I can find that its beneficial.
But anyways, I am looking forward to the E3 games that will be revealed. Most surprisingly I am looking forward to the Xbox presentation. With Sunset Overdrive being revealed and actually getting me a little bit green with envy I am actually looking at what may come to the Xbox brand.
Zefur (PSN ID)
GC: We think almost everyone would agreed the DualShock 4 is a great improvement overall, but the light bar is yet to demonstrate any purpose beyond annoying people. If it’s for use with Morpheus, fine. But we wish Sony would keep it switched off till then.
Blame culture
I loved your piece on why Microsoft think the PlayStation 4 is doing slightly better than the Xbone. To me it just goes to show how arrogant and deluded they still are on the games market. Sony made mistakes with the PlayStation 3, no doubt, and now it’s Microsoft’s turn with the Xbone. Being a market leader must remove you from reality and give you the feeling you know it all and that anything you give us we will receive with open arms and without question.
I have a PlayStation 3, I still use my PlayStation 3 but I love my PlayStation 4 and things can only get better games wise as time moves on. If my PlayStation 3 was so bad why then did I buy a PlayStation 4 this time around and not the Xbone? Could it be they messed up so many times with the launch, back-tracking multiple times on the ‘must-have features’ that looking at the two consoles I decided that with all the features and price of the Xbone it wasn’t for me?
And now they release a version Kinect-free. This should have been one of the options from launch.
There is no doubt in my mind they created the Xbone for the American market (understandable, as it is biggest there) but they did not consider anyone else in their plans. With all the Kinect features only working in the US if at all, they should have released a Kinect-free version from the start in Europe.
And they should not be looking at their competitors for reason why there little console isn’t doing as well. Microsoft are just like other corporates with the blame culture (I have worked for a few). Blame anyone else for your failings but don’t admit you screwed up big time. (Although with all the back tracking they are doing so).
Steve
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Nintendo theory
Okay, here goes my theory. The last generation was ageing, Nintendo had watched their game sales slow and needed to get them going again so they start courting third parties and fix the spec of their new console design.
Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft no doubt have vague designs on their next consoles too, but as they are still making good turnover off their existing platform, and launching new consoles costs them so much, they are stretching it out as long as physically possible.
After negotiating unprecedented third party support, because third parties need something new to make their repeat offerings look new, Nintendo announce the Wii U and everyone is excited.
Sony and Microsoft have to react. They can be a year late, most of their fans will wait that long on the rumour of much more powerful hardware, but two years… Their fans will probably buy the Wii U within that period, losing them game sales on their current platform and creating the risk they may not return when their new console launches.
So they rapid prototype using off the shelf PC components to keep costs low and hit go.
They now go after third parties that see easily developed for PCs in a shiny case and convince them that they are backing the wrong horse with Nintendo. Microsoft offer things like always online DRM to bait them, etc. After all, if Nintendo gets the support it was promised then that’s a massive risk for Sony and Microsoft.
For the next 18 months developers cobble bits together on last gen hardware, making a game that works, or doesn’t as the case may be, that’s right I’m looking at you EA. Launch arrives and nobody is ready as that date was set by Nintendo, not by their hardware or software teams.
All those games that were already in development for the last gen such as GTA V and The Last Of Us continue to roll out and many of the people Sony and Microsoft convinced the last gen was still going strong are still there, enjoying the last gen’s best games yet.
At least that’s my theory.
Steanti (NN ID)
This week’s Hot Topic
The talking point for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader SolidPete82 (PSN/NN ID), who asks what game has taken the longest for you to beat?
Whether it’s weeks, months or even years what’s the longest period of time you’ve gone between starting and game and finishing it? Did you stop playing it for any significant period of time during that and what drew you back?
What was the reason for the long length of time and was it because you were stuck on a particular section, and if so how did you beat it in the end? Is it important to you that you finish a game and were you annoyed at how long it took or did that add to some of the mystique? In your opinion what’s the average and ideal length of time to beat a normal length game?
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